Four of us had dinner here on Labor Day evening. When we arrived, we were told to expect a fifteen minute wait for seating, and it was pretty much on the dot. A carafe of water was promptly brought to the table. We took a long time with the menu because it is extensive, and wonderful. We finally agreed on Crab & Pork Soup Dumplings, Kau Fu, Dry Sautéed Green Beans with Meat, Salt & Pepper Squid, and Shanghainese Style Rice Cakes. The Kau Fu arrived first, and was truly exceptional, with large, firm, and juicy chunks of seitan, and a good sprinkling of large, not rubbery tree ears. My friend who said she didn't like seitan tried it, and liked it a lot. Kai Fu has a slight licorish flavor, and is a little sweet. We finished every bite. Moving on to the soup dumplings, the broth was delicate and the skins were thin and tender, altogether the best I've had in a long time. The green beans were perfect, seared and crispy, as they should be, with ground pork and a little pickled veg. The rice cakes were appropriately chewy, and we enjoyed the baby bok choy, mushrooms, and shrimp in the mild sauce. The squid was the only dish that wasn't perfect, being a little bland and a tiny bit too chewy for the size of the pieces. The service was attentive without being too much. We were offered hot tea, and a second carafe of water, without having to ask. The noise level from the other diners was a bit high for me, but I put my hearing aids on the noisy/party setting, and I could hear my friends, which was the important thing. We all agreed that we needed to come back again (and again) to try other dishes. I especially want to have the Hong Kong style Hot & Sour soup, which you can't get at most Chinese restaurants. read more

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Review #1,117 Posted on 10.5.26 We went on a dim sum tour on Thursday September the 17th when in town for my wife's 40th birthday bash. We stopped inside here for our 3rd stop of 4 on the tour. This place we actually came inside and got a 4 top table and sat down and ate the dumplings here. The menu at this place is huge, & full of options, all kinds of different stuff from dumplings, soup dumplings, to rice plates, to noodle plates. Unlimited options. The dumplings come out piping hot here. You need to be sure to pierce the dumpling and let out some steam out before biting into it or you'll burn your mouth. You put some of this soy/vinegar mix into the top where you pierced the dumpling, excellent stuff. Another place I recommend & would come back to again. read more

Every time we come to NY this is definitely a must go to place. The food is amazing the service is great as well. It can be a bit crowded but that expected from a place this good. We travel from California to New York as a family multiple times out the year and we always make it here before we head on back home. I love the Asian style ambiance that this place has. I would definitely recommend this place to any one traveling and has a thing for Asian cuisine read more

This review is simply to praise #13 - Szechuan Style Wonton (8). I would happily sign up for a food eating contest if this was the variable. I could eat 100 of these. Moving forward, I will stop here every time I visit NYC just to order this. I can't explain how good they are, just go try it yourself!!! read more

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Shanghai 21 in three words: Flavorful. Filling. Affordable! Note: They only accept cash! We only intended to come here for a couple share plates and then bounce around to a few other places however, it was so good we ended up ordering more than originally intended and were very satisfied with our meal! As a group of 5 we all ordered a plate and shared around the table. The two favorites were the Soup Dumplings w. Pork and the General Tso's Chicken! Definitely would return for these items! The restaurant is clean, service was quick, and it's a very casual place. The food is served hot and fresh, which is something so simple yet very standout. We are from the West Coast and this was easily some of the best Chinese Food we've ever had. If you're looking for a warm, delicious, and affordable meal this is your spot! read more

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Some friends recommended this restaurant during a visit to China town. First, the service was so fast and efficient. We sat down, ordered and had the food delivered to the table within ten minutes or maybe even less. The soup dumplings were piping hot, huge, and incredibly flavorful. The broth is this interesting chicken stock color but was very juicy. The total for six was $9.75 which wasn't bad at all. The salt and pepper squid was very interesting. I liked the flavor and kept coming back to it. The breading wasn't heavy and fried scallions or garlic on top made the dish. As for the noodles with scallion oil, not too bad. The flavor wasn't too rich, just nice and subtle. I believe for all three dishes the total came out to $50 before tax. At this time, cash is the only accepted form of payment. read more

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Yummmmm. With an abundance of restaurants to choose from in Chinatown, I am so happy we stumbled upon this one on a hot day in the city. With dozens and dozens of items on the menu, we were a bit overwhelmed but looked around at other tables to see what looked good and our server helped us identify the dishes and give suggestions. We ultimately went with the Szechuan potstickers and pork soup dumplings. Both were so flavorful and we ate every last bite. I loved the ginger ponzu mixture that came with the soup dumplings and will be dreaming about these dumplings for weeks to come! Would love to go back to try other items and see the super friendly staff again. read more

Shanghai 21 - Szechuan potstickers & pork soup dumplings - Shanghainese Near Me - New York, New York

These guys claim to have the best soup dumplings, and I have to say, they might be right. Their soup dumplings have thin skins and juicy centers, exactly what you're looking for. They're definitely one of the best I've had. Even their scallion pancakes are good. Thin and crispy with enough substance to hold its shape after a soy sauce dunk. We also ordered the salt and pepper squid, the Szechuan style bean curd (basically mapo tofu), and the watercress with enoki mushrooms. Everything was very delicious. Service however, was just adequate. But it's what you would expect from a delicious Chinese restaurant. The waitstaff will get you what you want when you ask it, but clearly doesn't want to be there. Also the place is cash only. But there's a reason they're always busy on the weekends, this place is good. read more

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This place has some of the better soup dumplings in Chinatown. Get the crab and pork which has a nice mouthfeel, plenty of liquid and just the right crab flavor. We also got the crispy beef, which is a Shanghai special and is to die for. read more

Shanghai 21 - Crispy B6. Dry Sautéed Shredded Beef with Szechuan Style - Shanghainese Near Me - New York, New York

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It was good. Prices were higher than expected and compared to other places in Chinatown. I thought it was a grab-and-go type place, but it was a dine-in restaurant. I guess that's the reason for the slightly higher prices. I got the vegetable dumplings and pork dumplings. The pork ones were delicious, but the vegetable ones were just good. Staff was good. Ambience leaves something to be desired. Tacky vibes and filled with tourists only. read more

Shanghai 21 - Vegetable dumplings and pork dumplings - Shanghainese Near Me - New York, New York

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Looook! We have the same kind of dishes in the West Coast and presented the same way too. But, what makes this place better than what we have at home, is the TASTE and how perfectly cooked everything was. Just an FYI, this place is CASH ONLY. Pork Soup Dumplings: 10/10 Its a bit more big than our usual size back home and I see WHY. There so much soup in them. Like, HELLO! Love, love, love it. Scallion pancakes: 10/10 like I honestly wish they had two pancakes on the plate, because we ordered another one after we killed the first one in like 2 seconds. Spicy wontons: 100/10 everyone has had spicy wontons every else, but these are by far the best I have EVER HAD. They don't just throw chili crisp oil in there, they also put other flavors in there and we ordered a second round of these as well. Eggplant with garlic sauce: 9/10 you can't go wrong with eggplant with garlic sauce. First place I've been too where they don't fry it first, but it was still a hit with us. Dry sautéed shredded beef: 8/10 I personally like, my brother and husband weren't really big fans of it. They said it was too much breading on it and it was super sweet. Vegetable Chow Mein: 8/10 there needed to be more of a veggie and noodle ratio. Flavor was definitely there, but wanted more noodle with every veggie bite. Overall: 9/10 Service was great, presentation was THERE and the food was exactly what you want when you come to Chinatown. It is a wait if you get there at certain hours, but I would totally wait just for them. Worth every step to get here. read more

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Every dish here is solid. We came here and it was a bit of a wait, but it was well worth it. Make sure you bring cash since it's cash only. Ordered the crab and pork soup dumplings. They were really juicy and savory broth. The shrimp dumplings were packed with shrimp. Flavors were spot on. We also got the bean curd Szechuan style. It was good but thought it would've been spicer. Ordered the beef with broccoli over rice and it was the perfect portion for one and great price. Overall, would come back! read more

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It sucked that the whole place is cash only. They used to accept credit cards but not anymore. The food is still pretty cheap compared to other Shanghainese places with the fried rice at $13.50 when other places are priced higher than that for fried rice plates. I got Shanghai fried rice and they gave a lot in this place that can be shareable. It got shrimp, beef, eggs, carrots, corns, peas, and scallions. The shrimps were really big like jumbo shrimps in the fried rice. That's a good sign that you paid for what you got. I got fried tiny buns too and in my opinion they are better and tastier than the soup dumplings that break easily and are too hot to eat. The fried tiny buns have a tiny meat ball inside without any soup. It got sesame seeds to add that extra flavor. I always get these every time I come here. Ambience here is casual and people talking back and forth with waiters in a hurry to bring food and clean tables. There is always a wait in the entrance for a booth or table so prepare yourself for a wait when you come here. Even ordering takeout today made me wait 10 minutes but that was a considerable time. There are QR codes to access the menu while you're waiting for a table. read more

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Shanghai 21 absolutely earns its Chinatown legend status. The General Tso's chicken was crispy, saucy, and dangerously easy to finish, and the soup dumplings were elite. Full of flavor, perfectly slurpable, no notes. Now the plot twist. The pork bun was dry. Like, why am I chewing this much dry. I would skip it and emotionally move on. Also, bring cash. They are cash only, like most places in Chinatown, and yes, you will feel silly if you forget. Order smart and this place does not miss. read more

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5/27/2026 I came for one think and one thing only: the spicy dumplings!!!!! I see why they are viral they were everything I needed them to be and more. Made and cooked to order so we waiting no more than 10 minutes and took them to go. Pipping hot super spicy and the filling was EVERYTHING. Highly recommend if in Chinatown, counting down the days until we meet again read more

I sat in the booth in Shanghai 21 across from my big bro, and took in an ambiance that ticked many boxes for a legendary Chinese spot: Cash only signs littering the oddly colored green walls, traditional looking tablecloths, beat up tile floors and furniture, servers that don't really engage with you and whose 2nd language is english, and a huge overwhelming menu that could swallow you if you get too deep into it. I was ready for battle, as I read the reviews for this place that said it's almost impossible to avoid a wait, but at 5:42pm on a Thursday we walked right in and were seated in a mostly empty restaurant. We can both EAT, so we went with the following: Soup Dumpling with pork ($9.75), Fried Tiny Pork Buns ($8.75), Szechuan style wonton ($9.25), Spring rolls ($6.00), Scallion Pancakes ($6.00), Low Mein w pork and shrimp ($13.25), and Szechuan style beef ($24.50). Pretty cost efficient. Some major bang for your buck here. Inflation buster adjacent. The only thing that didn't blow me away was the Szechuan style beef, as it was just a little too heavy for the two of us... I was FORCING it down by the end. Everything else was phenomenal. Other than that beef, I truly feel like we ordered perfectly. If I could only order 2 things, it would be the end of the road for me as I couldn't decide, but If I could only order 3 things they'd be the soup dumplings, Szechuan style wontons, and the low mein. Truly the big 3. IG @johnny.novo Tiktok @jnov__ Substack @johnnynovo read more

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Even after all these years, this is still and forever my absolute go to soup dumpling spot in Chinatown! I can't believe my last review was 12 years ago - time flies, but the quality here hasn't changed. The tea that's served here is also very fragrant just the way I like it too! I remember use to coming here at least once a month. read more

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We were seated immediately despite the restaurant being very crowded, and served hot tea and tap water right away. They took our order, and we ordered a LOT of food. Lo mein, scallion pancakes, 4 different varieties of dumplings.... All of the food came out quickly and was delicious. I loved the scallion pancakes and lo mein, both were easily in the top 3 of either dish that I've ever had. Dumplings were good but didn't stand out to me vs similar restaurants. Once we got the final dish, service basically stopped for us. No one checked on us at all for the rest of the meal. We had to flag someone down for the check. FYI this place is cash only. Don't be like the young man I watched run out to an ATM. read more

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**CASH ONLY** Been going here for years through all their name changes, and Shanghai 21 has the best soup dumplings in Chinatown in my opinion. Every time I come here, I have to get an order of the pork soup dumplings, the Shanghai style noodles with either pork or beef, and (maybe if I'm with others) an order of the scallion pancakes. The noodles and soup dumplings are required though! The noodles are so deliciously chewy and thick. I've never had noodles like that anywhere else. I'm also a weirdo and that I like to have some of the soup dumpling vinegar splash over the noodles as I suck them dry. Don't forget to bring cash! read more

Shanghai 21 - More noodles! - Shanghainese Near Me - New York, New York

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This place is cash only! Came on a Monday afternoon for lunch and still had to wait, though that was probably because it was Christmas week and Chinatown was just flooded with tourists. There are a few booths and tables and doesnt seem too crowded once you sit down. Turnover is pretty quick though because they use disposable table cloths and each table just has a stack of them so they can just toss it away. Food is normal Shanghai style food with their Xiao Long Baos and various types of dumplings, buns, noodles, and rice. Not bad but nothing spectacular though. read more

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A Chinatown Must‑Visit for Dumpling Lovers I was in New York on a work trip, and my colleague - a proud local - promised to take me to the best dumpling spot in Chinatown. Let me tell you, he did not exaggerate. This place absolutely delivered. The moment we walked in, the atmosphere hit me first: colorful, lively, buzzing with energy in the best way. It's hip without trying too hard, and everything felt clean and well‑kept. Service was lightning fast, too - dishes were coming out almost as quickly as we could order them. Now, the dumplings. Amazing. Truly some of the best I've ever had. Perfectly cooked, packed with flavor, and paired with a savory sauce that made every bite even better. Even the little dipping sauce was delicious. You can tell they take pride in what they serve. A couple of tips for anyone planning a visit: * They're cash‑only, so make sure you come prepared. * Reservations are encouraged - this place is clearly a go‑to spot, and for good reason. If you're in Chinatown and craving dumplings that actually live up to the hype, this restaurant is a must. I'll definitely be back next time I'm in the city! read more

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Popular spot for wide menu of options. A bit overrun by tourists. Food was good, very typical but not disappointing. The old style scallion lo mein and steamed watercress shrimp dumplings were good. Would be worth returning to try more. read more

Ambiance (5/5): The small establishment was clean and had plenty of tables on a Saturday during peak lunch hours. Service (5/5): The service was quick and easy. A pot of hot tea provided! Food: This was one of many stops on a food crawl so we didn't order much. However, other patrons were ordering plenty of entrees that made us want to come back! Soup Dumplings (5/5): The pork soup dumplings were spectacular! The skin was nicely thin with fresh meat on the inside. The soup was savory and just the right amount. My only qualm was hoping that the pork quality was a little better as the inside was slightly congealed. This stood a level down from NanXiang but boy was it good! Spicy Szechuan Wontons (4/5): Not my preferred flavor profile but the wontons had a good portion of meat. Review 2021: Ordered at the restaurant: the crab and pork soup dumplings to go and eat in their one outdoor seating area. Food came out in less than 10 min. The skin was thin, savory soup broth, temperature just right. Tasted great! read more

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Came here on a Wednesday after work. Got seated right away. Ordered the noodles with meat sauce which is like the Shanghai version of the Korean jjajangmyeon. It was really good, I loved the noodles mixed with the sauce. It was slightly spicy, but mild enough for me to tolerate. Also had the soup dumplings which were good, the dumpling skin was nice and thin. read more

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It's everything all the reviews say: no frills, real deal dumplings, Chinese dishes, noodles, veggies, etc. you're not going for exquisite service but they are efficient and helpful. It's a small, clean place with authentic "home" feel. It is cash only which they make sure you know when you check in. Didn't get pics because I was starving and wanted to dive into my yummy mapo tofu! read more

The food is good and there is always a wait. I did make the mistake of coming in on the Lunar New Year Parade day and had to wait more than 30 min. So we didn't eat until 3 pm for lunch. I ordered the usual - Xiao long bao with pork - skin seemed extra thin today. The pork was soft and good flavor. Lots of soup inside! The prices are getting insane for these guys. The tiny fried pork buns - they have definitely gotten tinier. They used to be bigger, but still tastes great Scallion pancake - I used to really like these, but the ones here are a little too deep fried, almost a little burnt. Shanghai lo mein w/ pork - always tastes great with the umami flavored sauced. Lots of filling with cabbage and pork. I do wish there were more noodles. Rice balls in soup wit sesame - I really love these little sesame filled rice balls. These are not too sweet. Overall, always a good meal. read more

A great restaurant in the heart of Chinatown serving traditional Shanghainese fare. Authentic dishes, style of cooking, and ambience really gives you the full experience. Don't forget to try their phenomenal dumplings as well - they have the best in Chinatown! read more

Shanghai 21 - C6. Jelly Fish - Shanghainese Near Me - New York, New York

I have been coming here all my years throughout high school and it has always been my favorite place to go if I can't get into joe shanghai. But honestly now that I've been back I feel like the quality of food is way better than current joe shanghai. We got a lot of stuff this time other than just soup dumplings and all of them were super amazing especially the spicy bean curd- absolute fave and you MUST GET IT WITH THE PORK. I know it doesn't become vegetarian but you must- and also get a bowl of rice to serve with it. We got mostly the crab pork soup dumplings and that was so good- I prefer them over the pork soup dumplings for sure but this is definitely a must get. We ordered 3 orders of them along with 1 of the pork ones. The enoki mushrooms and the veggies were really good too along with the stir fried noodles with shrimp and we also got an order with chicken. The scallion pancakes were ok- not the best I've had but crispy enough. All of this for 28 per person was really good (including tip). We had around 6 people so we did super good! And came out really full! The seating was comfortable and there wasn't any big issues with service and it was easy to get a large table! read more

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Been coming here for at least 15 years. Always hits, they know me and know what I like to order.

Well run establishment with wide menu items. Our party of two particularly went for dim sum (we tried the soup dumplings, Szechuan style wontons, and the scallion pancakes). I would recommend the soup dumplings, they were nice and hot and came out quickly. We opted for the ones that had crab on them and it was definitely heavy on the seafood flavor but in a good way. The Szechuan style wontons were sweeter than I anticipated and not spicy at all - I probably wouldn't reorder that. And the scallion pancakes were super crispy but didn't have the lamination you typically see in other restaurants. All in all, fast service, and yummy eats! read more

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We went 6 years ago and couldn't wait to come back but man we must have hit a bad day. Not busy at all, walked right in only half the tables were full which I now realize is no surprise and got three dishes, didn't finish any of them. Not kidding when I say it tasted like Panda Express, cafeteria food. Maybe they have new owners or not sure what happened but it was really bad this time. read more

DELICIOUS! They were very busy but we were able to get a small table with no wait. If I went again, I would've preferred to wait a few minutes longer for a large table due to how much food I got! We ordered dim sum style, wanting to try as many things as we could. There was also a tea service for the table which was a nice touch, especially in the cold and rainy weather. My favorite items were the old style lo mein, soup dumplings, and scallion pancakes, but EVERYTHING that I ordered was delicious. I would recommend any of them! This was more food than we needed and we definitely packed some to go! All of this was under $60! Definitely recommend if you are around Chinatown! read more

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Delicious food, pleasant and efficient service, and overall a wonderful dining experience! Some of the best food I've had in Chinatown

Everything was fantastic! The service was efficient but friendly. The restaurant is small but inviting. I was glad we went early (5:30) because there was a line forming when we left. I HIGHLY recommend the fried rice- it's the best I have ever had outside of Asia. read more

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Still Great after all these years. It's experienced a change in ownership as well as a name change, but the quality of the food and service have remained the same - Excellent. The tables turn over quickly so don't worry if you have to wait in line. It's worth it . read more

I did a dumpling crawl with my cousin, and this was our last stop. I was pretty full..... but the dumplings still tasted great, were cooked perfectly. I didn't think the Szechuan wontons were spicy at all, but to each their own. We had to wait 45 mins to be seated, in the meantime we walked around Chinatown and hit other food spots. Cute restaurant, would recommend. read more

Shanghai 21 - spicy D13. Szechuan Style Wonton, D2. Soup Dumpling with Pork - Shanghainese Near Me - New York, New York

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The food was fricken phenomenal, everything I had had flavor to the fullest, from the wonton soup, to the beef pan fried noodles, and even the white rice was delicious! Servers were fast, efficient, and very kind. The area was small but very very clean! I'm missing it already!! A have to go to place. read more

Shanghai 21 - P3. Beef Pan-Fried Noodles - Shanghainese Near Me - New York, New York

Part of our walking dim sum tour, this one was for the xia long bao aka soup dumplings. We ordered these to go and found a spot nearby to sit down and enjoy. Everything was delicious, won't say it was the best I ever had but it was damn good. read more

Shanghai 21 - Shanghainese Near Me - New York, New York

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Everything was way too salty and the portions were very small. We've been here before so they have significantly decreased their portion sizes. I placed a fork on the plate for comparison. I got the Shanghai Lo Mein with NO SALT so it tasted fine because the soy was enough. All the other dishes were way too salty. Our entire table was chugging water and tea the whole time. Also we ordered 2 of the appetizer fried pork chop and we got 1 plate that had 2 pieces and 1 plate that only had 1 piece... If we did not have the first plate as comparison, we might not have noticed and have just sadly ate 1 piece of pork chop for $8... The only reason I put 2 stars and NOT 1 was because their SOUP DUMPLING & SCALLION pancakes were VERY GOOD!!! Also, when we asked about that pork chop portion looking small, the waiter took it back and gave us another piece. So good customer service there. read more

Shanghai 21 - O7. Double Sauteed Pork over Rice - Shanghainese Near Me - New York, New York

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Large menu with hits and misses but as long as you know what to order, you'll have a good time! Definitely order the soup dumplings, my favorite is the regular pork one, but the crab and truffle are also really good. Wuxi ribs and Zhajiang noodles are another favorite. Wuxi ribs are incredible, meat is so tender that it's falling off the bones. Zha Jiang noodles has an amazing meat sauce but it's paired with udon noodles for some reason which I find weird. But I brought the leftover meat sauce home and had it over some rice and it was excellent! Mapo tofu was also pretty solid! Do not order the pork chop, this was a disappointing dish. Taiwanese restaurants do it better. read more